Fox Maxy (Payómkawichum and Mesa Grande Band of Mission Indians) has been named as the recipient of the 2022 Merata Mita Fellowship, an annual fellowship designed to support Indigenous women-identified artists who are working towards directing a feature film. The honor is named in recognition of Merata Mita (Ngāi Te Rangi/Ngāti Pikiao), one of the first Māori women to write and direct a dramatic feature film.
The fellowship includes “a cash grant and yearlong support with activities, including attendance at the Sundance Film Festival, access to strategic and creative services offered by Sundance Institute’s artist programs, and mentorship opportunities,” per a press release from the Sundance Institute announcing the news.
Maxy was recognized at the Native Forum Celebration in the Festival Online Platform during Sundance Film Festival, which is running until January 30.
“Watertight,” Maxy’s first feature film, is described as “a collection of interviews about mental health and suicide, interrupted by fake commercials, reality tv parodies, animations, and archival footage. ‘Watertight’ flips through channels, traveling around Indian country and big cities, following people who create their own realities.”
“Gathering each year to celebrate the memory of our Sundance Institute colleague Merata Mita in this way is so rewarding as she was the first Indigenous woman to solely write, direct, and produce a dramatic feature film — it’s only right to pass on that torch every year by providing resources and support to one of the many Indigenous women-identified filmmakers she has inspired globally,” said Adam Piron, Sundance Institute’s Indigenous Program Interim Director “We’re in a moment where more Indigenous artists are telling their stories to a wider-reaching audience than ever before. However, the work of indigenizing the moving image is ongoing and, like Merata, we remain committed to contributing to that work in practical ways that build community and uplift Indigenous voices.”
“This opportunity feels like the biggest prize from the craziest game and it came at a time when I’m finally not scared of anything,” said Maxy. “I’ve been filming, taking photos, and making collages with sounds or visuals since a very young age. I film every day, but it took me over a decade to put myself out there. It takes guts to be vulnerable and pour your real emotions into a project, and there’s no guarantee that anyone will care,” she emphasized. “When I heard that I received this fellowship, I cried. This means that my voice in my work is actually reaching people and I’m being heard. I’m grateful to the entire Sundance team. Our talks keep me calm. It’s like having a group of friends and mentors who are rooting for me to do what I want — they encourage me to carve my own rules and set out on my own path.”
A doc about Mita, “Merata: How Mum Decolonised the Screen,” was released in 2019.
